July 16, 2008, Location Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey
CLW: Today I had time to walk about half of the History Trail. I started at the first brick house in Californian, next to the Whaling Station with its front patio made of whale vertebrae. Across the street the Monterey Garden Society maintains a beautiful herb garden with espaliered apple trees, fragrant pink roses and a Moses rock bubbling water. Across another street is a building labeled as the first theater in town, but the well-stocked bar inside proves its actual function.
I reached the Sorreno House in time to take the tour with a guide. It was the home of the first customs officer, and before the trees matured he had a view of the customs house and harbor below. I learned that under Mexican law, the customs officer was paid a percentage of the taxes he collected, and it was up to him to set the tax rate. Contemporary accounts complain bitterly about tax rates of 100 to 150%; but the hides bought here for $1 each would sell for $30 apiece on the East Coast. The Sorreno House was occupied until the 1970s, so there are many layers of improvements on the original 4-foot thick adobe structure, and eclectic furnishings and art arranged in spare, austere charm.
I continued down the block past many more antique homes and businesses and finally reached my goal—the house where William Tecumseh Sherman lived while he was posted to Monterey during the Mexican War. It's a whitewashed adobe house with a shake roof, bare plank floors inside and Spartan furnishings. Behind the house is a climbing rose arbor and a wishing well. I saw many bigger and richer homes but this one was my favorite.
After my history walk, I bought a sketch book at Walgreen's and made pencil sketches of all the anchors I could find: one in a small park on Pacific, one in front of the Customs House, one in front of the Maritime Museum and one in front of the Coast Guard station. According to one of the history guides, there is one more anchor on the seaside walk. I'll find that one tomorrow.
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